>> Monday, October 10, 2016

Troops
‘terrorize’ Abra folks

SALLAPADAN, Abra -- The Agustin Begnalen Command of the New
People’s Army (ABC NPA-Abra) assailed the Army’s 24th Infantry Battalion,
led by LTC Thomas Dominic Baluga, “for sabotaging the supposed peace
consultation between the NPA, representing the National Democratic Front of the
Philippines and the people of Sallapadan,” and for this, the group said, Army
elements “should be punished.”

A unit of the Agustin
Begnalen command was reportedly in Sallapadan to consult the people regarding
ongoing peace negotiations between the NDFP and the Government of the Republic
of the Philippines.

A simultaneous
unilateral ceasefire declaration from the NDFP and the GPH is in effect, not
just to prevent clashes between the AFP-PNP and the NPA but also to allow
revolutionary forces to consult the people regarding the peace process, the
ABC-NPA said in a statement.

“The
24th Infantry battalion did not only violate the ceasefire declaration of
President Rodrigo Duterte but is also sabotaging gains of the ongoing peace
process. It is without doubt that the Armed Forces of the Philippines is
against the peace process and is trying by all means to sabotage the
negotiations.”

Aside from violating
the ceasefire by launching patrol operations against the NPA unit present in
Sallapadan, the ABC-NPA said the “24th IB is also maliciously spreading
lies to the people that the unilateral ceasefire declaration has already lapsed
to justify their presence in the community. “They have resorted to lies because
they were embarrassed by the fact that the people knew that the soldiers should
not be even encamping within the community,” Ka diego Wadagan, ABC-NPA
spokesperson said.

“They are also
masquerading their presence by invoking Bayanihan activities which is actually
psywar and intelligence gathering operations. “If it is not like that, how come
they arrived in Sallapadan several days after we have arrived? The people were
also complaining that army troopers were forcing farmers to bring soldiers
along to their fields so that they can help planting rice but they were being
questioned about our presence there and were being accused as NPA supporters.
Instead of actually helping the people, the army soldiers are threatening and
intimidating them.”

A certain Col.
Esguerra, allegedly the commanding officer of the Alpha coy of the
24th IB, reportedly said they are willing to talk to the NPA unit for
ceasefire negotiations.

But the ABC-NPA said,
“There will be no negotiations on the ground because the only negotiators
between the CPP-NPA-NDFP and the GPH are those negotiating in Oslo, Norway. Is
he (Esguerra) considering himself as a peace negotiator separate from the GPH
negotiators that are talking to the leadership of the revolutionary movement?
He has no right to demand us to negotiate with the 24th IB.”

Wadagan said
“presence of the 24th IB also violated the Geneva conventions and the
International Humanitarian Law (IHL) by encamping inside the community, in a
house located with the community. Their presence poses danger for the people of
barangay Bazar as they will be vulnerable to threats, harassments and
intimidation by army troopers. They are virtually using the people of barangay
Bazar as human shields and hostages against the revolutionary movement.

It is a good thing
that the New People’s Army adheres to protect the civilian populace and will
not attack if there is a presence of civilians among the soldiers. The army
troopers were also lucky that the NPA respects and adheres to the unilateral
ceasefire declaration of the NDFP. Had there been no ceasefire declaration or
no civilians were present among the soldiers, they would have been punished
accordingly for their counter revolutionary and anti-people activities.”

According to the
ABC-NPA, the soldiers also violated the right of the community, especially
elders, to be consulted regarding their activities. “The 24th IB
disrespected the socio-political rights of indigenous people which is being
guaranteed by the Free, Prior and Informed consent (FPIC) process and by the
United Nations Declaration of rights of the indigenous peoples. The
24th IB must be thinking that the IPs are not worth talking to and that
they can have their own ways. They are making a big mistake.

“Because of the
officers’ greed for promotion and rewards, they are putting their own troops
into harm’s way so that they can claim that they are effective in their area of
responsibility. Sadly, the soldiers are blindly following their commanding
officers despite knowing that what they are doing is against the people.

“We call on to the
soldiers of the Armed Forces of the Philippines to stand up against greed,
corruption and human rights violations committed by their institution and their
officers. The revolutionary movement is willing to assist army troopers who
wish to correct their mistakes against the people,” the statement said.

“The Armed Forces of
the Philippines is clearly sabotaging what President Duterte’s administration
has been pushing for: peace, reconciliation and unity. The fascist troops are
hell-bent in preventing the success of the peace process because their
leadership is earning lots of money in their counter revolutionary war against
the people. They are waging their war against the people, in connivance with
corrupt and fascist puppets of the Imperialist United States government. They
are very much determined to undermine the progressive policies of the Duterte
administration.”